Field of the Invention
The present application relates to musical instruments and methods of playing musical instruments.
Description of the Related Art
A musical instrument functions by creating sound waves of a certain frequency. In some instruments, his is accomplished with the vibration of a string. In some instruments, the created frequency can be varied by causing a string having certain vibrational characteristics to vibrate. In some instruments, such as a piano, the vibrational characteristics of the string and the frequency of the sound wave created can be determined by the length of the string. In some instruments, such as a guitar, the vibrational characteristics of the string and the frequency of the sound waves created can be determined, in part, by applying pressure to the string so as to divide the string into a vibrating portion and a non-vibrating portion.
While a skilled musician is able to use his fingers to rapidly switch notes by applying pressure to different portions of a string or by depressing different keys, these movements require years of practice, and a musicians ability is ultimately physically limited by the size of their hand and fingers, flexibility, and other traits. In light of these limitations, new musical instruments are required to facilitate the ability of less experienced musicians, musicians whose physical characteristics or abilities impose restrictions to play a desired piece of music, and to overcome the inherent constraints of instruments such as the electric bass guitar for which the distances between notes is less than optimal for the human hand.